—- FO says investigation into Embassy attack continues, Islamabad closely following probe
—- Taliban claim arresting attackers
BY ADNAN RAFIQUE
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday it was “confident” that terrorists who attacked Pakistan’s head of mission in Kabul, Ubaid ur Rehman Nizamani, would be held accountable.
The response came after Afghanistan government’s spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid claimed to have arrested the assailants who perpetrated the attack and that they were Daesh operatives.
“The embassy attackers are foreigners […] The aim of the attack was to sow distrust between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Mujahid said.
Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the investigation was ongoing and Pakistan was closely following it. She said Pakistan remains in active contact with the concerned Afghan authorities on the matter.
“We are confident that the terrorist attack targeting our Head of Mission in Kabul, will be fully investigated and the perpetrators and their abettors will be brought to account.”
Pakistan remains resolute in its commitment to fight the scourge of terrorism, the spokesperson added.
Nizamani, who escaped an armed assault on his life in the embassy last week, is visiting the country for official engagements, the Foreign Office said Monday.
“Our Head of Mission in Kabul Ubaid ur Rehman Nizamani is in Pakistan for a prescheduled visit for consultations,” the MOFA confirmed in a statement.
According to Foreign Office, Nizamani was the target of the attack. The attackers missed Nizamani, but an embassy security guard, Sepoy Israr Mohammad, was critically wounded in the attack while protecting the ambassador.
Last Sunday, Daesh had claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement carried by one of the militant group’s affiliated channels on Telegram.
Daesh claimed the attack was carried out by two of its members armed with “medium and sniper weapons” and was targeting the ambassador and his guards who were present in the courtyard of the embassy.
In response, the Foreign Office said it had seen the reports of Daesh’s claim of responsibility and was verifying those reports.
“Independently and in consultation with the Afghan authorities, we are verifying the veracity of these reports,” it said in a statement, adding the attack was a reminder of the risk militant activity posed to the region.
